There were a total of 6,712 vehicles scrapped in the two years 2008 and 2009 - respectively 2,694 and 4,018.

By far the biggest numbers were of private class 1 vehicles: 1,676 in 2008 and 2,256 in 2009. The information was given by Transport Minister Austin Gatt in reply to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Ċensu Galea.

Answering another question by Mr Galea, Dr Gatt said that over the same period 5,841 and 11,333 vehicles respectively had been garaged.